20 questions on the grade 4-5 content both tiers share — a fair test of whether a Higher entry is the right call.

⚖️ Foundation to Higher crossover check

Maths · GCSE Foundation · 20 questions · ~35 min

MathsUKwww.geekhero.co.uk

The tier decision is made by the school, but it is made on evidence, and this sheet is designed to produce some. Every question on it sits in the crossover band — the grade 4 to 5 content that appears on both the Foundation and the Higher papers: multiplying out and factorising, solving linear equations and inequalities, straight-line graphs and gradients, ratio and proportion, Pythagoras' theorem, angle reasoning, and averages from a frequency table. A student who works through this comfortably has the foundation a Higher entry needs. A student who is guessing on half of it will almost certainly come away with a better grade from a Foundation paper they can attempt in full. Useful for a parents' evening conversation, and for a department deciding entries.

1.Solve the inequality x − 10 < −3.
(a)x < 13
(b)x > 7
(c)x < −13
(d)x < 7
2.The interior angles of a pentagon are 100°, 110°, 120°, x° and x°. Work out the size of each of the two angles marked x°.
(a)105°
(b)55°
(c)108°
(d)210°
3.Expand 4(2x − 3).
(a)2x + 1
(b)8x + 12
(c)8x − 12
(d)8x − 3
4.A jug holds 3 litres of a drink that is 60% fruit juice. 1 litre of water is added to the jug. Work out the percentage of the new mixture that is fruit juice.
(a)60%
(b)75%
(c)45%
(d)15%
5.Priya invests £750 in a savings account that pays simple interest. After 3 years, the account contains £840. Work out the annual rate of simple interest.
(a)12%
(b)4%
(c)112%
(d)0.04%
6.A company's profit this year is 130% of last year's profit. Last year's profit was £40,000. Work out this year's profit.
(a)£12,000
(b)£52,000
(c)£5,200
(d)£40,130
7.A metal alloy is made from copper and tin in the ratio 7:3. Work out the mass of tin in 250 g of the alloy.
(a)125 g
(b)75 g
(c)25 g
(d)175 g
8.Work out 25% of 200.
(a)50
(b)100
(c)25
(d)800
9.A water butt holds 200 litres and is being drained at a steady 8 litres per minute. Write down the function for the amount of water y, in litres, left after x minutes.
(a)y = 200x − 8
(b)y = −8x − 200
(c)y = 200 − 8x
(d)y = 8x + 200
10.Solve the inequality 4x + 1 > 2x + 9.
(a)x > 5
(b)x < 5
(c)x < 4
(d)x > 4
11.Harry counted the coins he found on each of six days: 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 30. Write down the outlier.
(a)30
(b)8.5
(c)11
(d)5
12.Simplify 5x + 3y − 2x + y.
(a)3x + 2y
(b)7x + 4y
(c)3x + 4y
(d)6xy
13.40% of a number is 12 more than 25% of the same number. Work out the number.
(a)48
(b)80
(c)15
(d)30
14.The mean of 5 numbers is 8. Work out the total of the 5 numbers.
(a)40
(b)1.6
(c)13
(d)8
15.2.4 kg of cheese costs £36. Work out the cost of 1.5 kg of the same cheese.
(a)£15
(b)£57.60
(c)£22.50
(d)£54
16.In a school choir the ratio of boys to girls is 3:4. When 6 more boys join the choir, the ratio of boys to girls becomes 1:1. Work out how many girls are in the choir.
(a)18
(b)24
(c)42
(d)30
17.Solve 6x − 5 = 3x + 13.
(a)18
(b)2
(c)2.67
(d)6
18.Two classes sat the same maths test, both marked out of 100. Class A had a mean mark of 70 and a range of 30 marks. Class B had a mean mark of 70 and a range of 10 marks. Compare the marks of the two classes.
(a)The means are equal, and Class B's marks are the more consistent because its range is smaller.
(b)Class A's mean mark is higher, and Class A's marks are also the more consistent.
(c)The means are equal, and Class A's marks are the more consistent because its range is larger.
(d)Class B's mean mark is higher, and its smaller range makes its marks the more consistent.
19.Amelia is buying books. Each book costs £5 and she has at most £30 to spend. Write down an inequality for x, the number of books she can buy.
(a)5x ≥ 30
(b)x + 5 ≤ 30
(c)5x < 30
(d)5x ≤ 30
20.A jug of squash is made by mixing water and syrup in the ratio 6:1. Nia wants to make 8.4 litres of squash. Work out how much syrup she needs, in litres.
(a)0.84
(b)1.4
(c)1.2
(d)7.2

What is on this worksheet?

The sheet holds 20 questions drawn from the MathsUK bank — the content areas covered: Algebra, Ratio, proportion and rates of change, Geometry and measures, Statistics (statements A4, A17, A22, A9, R5, R9, G20, G3, S4). It is pitched at GCSE Foundation and takes about 35 minutes to work through in full. It works as a class handout, a homework, or a warm-up before a test.

How to use the sheet well

Print it or open it on screen — both work. Printing is A4; the screen view fits phones and tablets.
Do all 20 questions before checking — about 35 minutes is the guide, but there is no time pressure.
Check the answers — press “Show answers” or print the answer page separately.
Redo the questions you got wrong — twice as effective as doing 20 fresh ones.
“New questions” — builds a fresh sheet on the same statements, so you can practise again without repeats.

Why this sheet helps

MathsUK worksheets use questions graded by difficulty and a fair spread of correct-answer positions (the answer is not always (a)) — so the student really has to think about each question rather than guess a pattern. Every question is tagged to a DfE content statement and checked before it enters the bank. The answers come with a step-by-step explanation, not just a value — so a wrong answer becomes a lesson.

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